An Old-Fashioned Guy
by Jessica B
Summary: Dean gets stuck in 1944. When he meets Evelyn, me may not mind being stuck. (Dean/OFC). I love feedback! Please let me know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

Canton, Ohio 1944

Evelyn adjusted the hats in the window display as she hummed along with Lena Horne's Stormy Weather on the radio. When the music suddenly stopped, she turned around. Ezra stood with a disapproving look.

"You tryin' to run off my customers again?"

"Sorry, Ezra. The music just helps me focus."

"How hard do you have to focus to put a few hats on a stand?" She unplugged the radio and put it behind the counter. "This stays in the back if you wanna listen to it."

"Understood."

"Do me a favor. We got a shipment of buckles in last week, and I can't find the box..."

"I'm on it," Evelyn said.

As she passed the counter, Ezra held out the radio for Evelyn to take with her. She was grinning as the girl took it from her with a smile.

"Thanks, Ezra."

"Get outta here," Ezra said with a grin.

The store room was a mess, and they both knew it would take Evelyn a while to find the box. She plugged in the radio and waited a moment for it to warm up before music filled the air again. She took the time to do some organizing as she searched, and she eventually found what she was looking for.

She carried the box back into the front and stopped in her tracks when she saw two men. One face was familiar. Eliot. The other man, she had never seen before. He was dressed oddly, but he was gorgeous. She realized that she was staring, and tried to cover.

"Hey, Eliot."

"Hey, Evelyn."

"Ezra, I found the box." She placed it on the counter.

"Thanks, honey."

"Evelyn Hartley," Eliot said in introduction, "Dean Winchester."

Dean stepped forward and shook Evelyn's hand. His mouth was tilted in a lopsided grin.

"Nice to meet you," Evelyn said.

Ezra let out a chuckle. "You didn't shake my hand, handsome."

"So," Evelyn said, ignoring her, "you a friend of Eliot?"

Dean turned and looked at Eliot. "I don't know. Am I a friend of Eliot Ness?"

"He's a hunter," Eliot said. "From the future."

"No kidding?"

"I assume you need some clothes," Ezra said. "Come on."

Dean and Ezra disappeared behind a heavy curtain as Evelyn opened the box. Eliot came over and leaned one arm on the counter.

"I've seen that look before," he said.

"What look?"

"Don't play dumb, kid. He's a hunter."

"So I heard."

"Don't go down that road."

"I'm a big girl, Eliot. I can take care of myself."

"Sure, like you did with that last creep."

"Live and learn. Besides, who says anything is gonna happen? So, I think he's attractive. That doesn't make us married."

Eliot grabbed a newspaper and sat down to wait when Ezra came out.

"He's almost done," she said. "Gave me a hard time when I showed him the suit."

A few minutes later, Dean stepped out of the curtain. His face was hesitant, like he wasn't quite sure about the clothes. Eliot gave a whistle, and when Dean saw his reflection in the mirror, he smiled. He looked great. Ezra smoothed her hands over the shoulder of his jacket.

"Okay, Ezra," Eliot said, "we need your help. It seems we're hunting a time traveler."

"Delightful."

Evelyn went about her work while Eliot and Dean filled Ezra in on what they had found out. She knew all about hunting and the world it revolved around, but Eliot made sure she stayed behind the scenes. She just listened.

"He was wearing a ring," Dean said. "It had some kind of symbol on it."

Ezra walked toward the counter, and Evelyn knew what she was coming to get. She reached beneath the counter to a stack of old books and pulled one out, handing it to Ezra, who winked at her. Evelyn smiled. She glanced toward the guys and saw Dean smiling back at her. She tucked a strand of her reddish-brown hair behind her ear and lowered her head, getting back to work.

"Skim through this," Ezra said, handing the book to Dean.

Dean began flipping through the pages. He finally found what he was looking for.

"This is it," he said with his finger on the page.

Ezra stepped closer and took the book. "It's the infinite hourglass."

"That's the symbol I saw on his ring."

"Yeah, that's the mark of Chronos."

"Who?"

"Chronos. The god of time," Ezra said.

"Alright," Eliot said, "so, this Chronos is killing in threes? Why?"

"Could be he's killing folks for his time juice," Ezra said.

"Alright," Dean said, "well, how the hell am I gonna ride him back to 2012?"

"Well, you could let him grab you, if you don't mind him using you for gasoline."

"What's the point of getting back if I'm a raisin? There's gotta be a way."

"Look," Eliot said, "let's just stick with what we know. Ezra, see if you can find something in all this junk that will kill a god."

"No trouble at all," she said sarcastically. "Come in a few hours, see what me and Evelyn can scrounge up."

"Dean, you said you fellas found his house? Well, let's go see if it's been built yet."

Ezra helped Dean into his coat and gave him a gun, already holstered. He followed Eliot out of the store. When they were gone, Ezra walked behind Evelyn.

"Handsome fella," Ezra said.

"Is he? I hadn't noticed."

"Don't kid a kidder. I saw your face. And I saw his."

Evelyn's eyes went to Ezra at those words, and Ezra smiled.

"Uh huh. But you didn't notice."

Ezra began to walk away. Evelyn tried to focus on what she was doing, but the fact that both Eliot and Ezra noticed her reaction to Dean left her feeling vulnerable.

"Hey, Ez..."

"Yeah, hon?"

"You ever date a hunter?"

"A few."

"And?"

"And... they leave... a lot. Especially this Dean guy. He's not even from our time."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right. Thanks."

"Any time, honey."


	2. Chapter 2

Ezra and Evelyn worked for hours trying to find what Eliot would need. They finally pulled it together, and had it waiting for when he came back. Only, he didn't come back.

Evelyn was alone in the front of the store when Dean walked in alone. He walked up to the counter and removed his hat, smiling at Evelyn.

"Hey," he said, placing his hat on the counter.

"Hi. Where's Eliot?"

"He stayed behind to keep an eye on Chronos."

"So, you actually found him?"

"Yes, we did."

Ezra came out when she heard voices.

"Oh, hiya, handsome."

"Hey. Eliot sent me to see what you came up with."

Ezra stepped behind the countered and pulled out a long stake, laying it on top.

"That's it?" Dean asked.

"That is a thousand-year-old olive, carved by vestal virgins, and dipped in the blood of... you don't wanna know. Pulling this together wasn't easy. You and Ness both owe me, smoothie."

"You can have whatever you want," Dean said, picking up the stake, "soon as we gank this thing."

"Yeah, yeah," Ezra said. "Take your twig, wise guy."

"Well, now, how's it work?"

Ezra walked over to Dean and pointed to the sharp end of the stake.

"You stick this end in his heart," she said. "Miss, he has you for supper. Make sense?"

"Wait," Dean said. "If I... if I kill Chronos... I'm stuck here."

"You just now realized?" Ezra said. "Oh, come on. 1944 ain't so bad."

"Yeah, I could head over to Europe... punch Hitler in the neck."

"Oh, there's lots of ways to pass the time, sugar."

Evelyn grinned as she went about her work. Ezra was a hopeless flirt. She looked up and happened to catch Dean's eyes on her for just a moment before he looked away.

Eliot came though the door, slightly out of breath.

"Somebody chasin' ya?" Ezra asked.

"Had to hitch a ride back, and the guy dropped me off down the street. I ran the rest of the way. Wanted to make sure Dean didn't leave."

"What's up?" Dean asked.

"Got in a tangle with Chronos, and he just disappeared."

"He got away?"

"No. He was winning. No reason for him to get away. He just vanished."

"You know," Ezra said, "maybe if he doesn't kill to travel, he just pops through time."

"So soon?" Dean asked. "We got here less than twenty-four hours ago."

"Maybe you weakened him by taking a ride," she said. "Used up some of his mojo."

"Well, great," Dean said. "What do we do know?"

"He'll be back," Eliot said. "We watch his girl, Lila, and we'll be ready for him."

"We should go, then," Dean said. "If he can control when he lands, he could be back already."

"I doubt it. He knows we'll be watching. He'll try to wait us out. He might not be back for days."

"You seem pretty sure," Dean said.

"Fairly confident."

"Well, if Eliot Ness is confident, that's good enough for me."

"Say," said Ezra. "Why does he talk about you that way?"

"It seems I end up in a movie."

"Really?" Evelyn asked.

She had been so quiet, that all eyes went to her.

"Really," Dean said with a smile. "Though I'm learning there may be some historical inaccuracies."

"Well, Dean," Eliot said. "Grub's on me. And you can stay at my place until we get this thing."

Eliot took the stake from Dean and put it in his coat, then he turned to Evelyn. "You comin'?"

"Ezra?" Evelyn asked, hoping she would say it was okay to leave.

"Go on, get outta here."

"I just have to grab my purse."

Evelyn went to the back and returned a few minutes later with her purse. She said goodnight to Ezra and took  
Eliot's extended arm. He walked her to the car and opened the passenger door for her. Dean climbed in back, and Eliot drove.

When they got to the diner, Eliot grabbed a table. Dean sat across from him, but Evelyn made her way to the jukebox in the corner. Dean watched her as she carefully read the playlist. When she finally selected a song, Dean made a face. This wasn't his classic rock.

Benny Goodman's clarinet filled the air, and the sour look on Dean's face faded as Evelyn swayed back and forth at the jukebox. The bottom of her dressed swished slightly around her long legs as she got lost in the music for a moment.

When she turned to walk to the table, their eyes connected. Dean had a small smile on his face. She grinned as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sat next to Eliot.

"You gonna spend all my coin on music tonight?" Eliot asked her.

"If you let me, I might."

"You like music?" Dean asked.

"I love music," she said. "It takes me to another place... it's calming."

"I get that," Dean said. "Music helps me focus... keeps me calm. I hum sometimes when I get in tense situations."

"Me too," Evelyn said with an appreciative smile. "Though I'm not usually in tense situations." She looked to Eliot, who rolled his eyes. "So," she said, turning her attention back to Dean, "you like Goodman?" She pointed to the jukebox.

"Ahhh... not really. In my time, this really isn't the popular music anymore. And I grew up listening to something a lot different."

"That's a shame," Evelyn said.

The waitress came and took their orders. While they waited for their food, they talked a little about Chronos. Eliot pulled some coins from his pocket and put them on the table next to Evelyn.

"When it's gone, the music is over."

Evelyn smiled. It was more than enough for the time they would be there, and she knew that Eliot knew it. He and Ezra both understood her love of music, and they were both great about it. She periodically went to the jukebox to make a selection as they ate. She saw Dean's reaction to a couple of them. She could tell he wasn't enjoying it, and she couldn't help but wonder what music in the future would sound like.

Eliot paid the bill and they got back on the road. He parked in front of an apartment building, and went around to open the door and help Evelyn from the car. When Dean didn't make a move to get out, Eliot spoke up.

"You comin'?"

Dean got out of the car and followed Eliot, who had Evelyn on his arm again. On the third floor, they stopped in front of apartment 302. Evelyn opened the door and stepped inside before turning back to Eliot.

"Thanks for dinner."

"Anytime."

"Dean," she extended her hand. "It was nice talking to you."

She expected Dean to shake her hand as he did when they first met, but he took her fingers and lifted the back of her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss there.

"Likewise," he said with a smile.

The small, innocent kiss made her flustered, but she covered it well. "Goodnight, fellas."

"Goodnight," they both said.

When the door was closed Dean turned to walk back the way they came, but Eliot grabbed him by the collar of his coat.

"This way, loverboy," he said sarcastically. Eliot stopped in front of apartment 306 and opened the door. "This is my place. You sleep on the sofa."

Once they were inside, Eliot got in Dean's face.

"Listen good. Evelyn is like my little sister. You hurt her, I kick in your skull. Got it?"

"Got it," Dean said, just a little intimidated.

"Good." Eliot smiled and patted Dean on the cheek, a little harder than necessary. "We're gonna have to work in shifts watching the girl. I'll start tomorrow morning. I'll head over to her place and follow her from there. You meet me at the diner before her shift ends and you can take over."

"Sounds good," Dean said.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean woke to the sound of a knock at the door. He got up and ran a hand through his hair as he walked over, cautiously. Should he ask who's there? He didn't get the chance before he heard a voice through the door.

"Dean, it's Evelyn."

Dean unconsciously ran his hand down the front of his shirt before opening the door. Evelyn smiled as they made eye contact, but the smile faded at the sight of the rest of him.

His dress shirt was rumpled, half of the buttons undone, exposing the undershirt beneath. His pants were in the same rumpled condition.

"Did you sleep in your suit?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did."

"You're a wrinkled mess."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically.

Evelyn walked in and headed toward a closet in the hall.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you," Dean said, "but, uh... did you need something?"

Evelyn came back into the living room with an ironing board and set it up.

"Shirt and pants," she said.

"What?"

"Give me your shirt and pants." When Dean just stared at her, she continued. "You can't go around looking like that. You know how to use an iron?"

"No..."

"Then give me your shirt and pants."

"Isn't there some kind of modesty code of conduct between men and women in this era?"

"Look," Evelyn said with one hand on the ironing board, and the other on her hip. "I've bandaged Eliot up more times than I can count. I'm not a stranger to the male form. Besides, you're wearing boxers and an undershirt, right?"

"Yeah..."

"So, you're covered."

She held out her hand, and Dean began unbuttoning his shirt. Once it was in her hand, she went to work getting the wrinkles out. Dean removed his pants, folding them over the arm of the sofa before sitting down with a pillow in his lap.

Evelyn had her back to Dean, keeping her eyes on the ironing. Dean, on the other hand, let his eyes linger over Evelyn. Her dress left little uncovered, but it hugged her in all the right places. Dean was surprised at how sexy he found it, considering so little skin was showing. Just her legs. The dress stopped just below her knees, showing off her well-defined calves, stretched long in heels.

"So," he said, trying to lessen the awkwardness a little. "How did you get involved in this business?"

"My family lived in Cleveland. There was a surge of deaths in the area. Really weird deaths."

"What was it?"

"Vampires. I spent the night at a friend's house. When I came home the next day, I found my parents and my two little brothers... with their throats ripped out."

Dean grimaced. "I'm sorry."

"Eliot was working that case, and... I don't know why, but he told me the truth. I was almost old enough to be on my own anyway, so he got it worked out that I was declared an adult. He brought me to Canton, and got me a job with Ezra. Got me the apartment down the hall from his. He looks after me."

"Eliot told me about Cleveland... he didn't tell me about your family, though. He just said it was where he caught the hunting bug."

"It's true. He had only been at it for about a week. We learned a lot about the supernatural world together."

Evelyn handed Dean his shirt and he slipped it on, but left it unbuttoned. She turned her attention to his pants.

"You never did tell me why you came by," Dean said.

"Oh, Eliot asked me to come by and make sure you got to the diner okay. He wasn't sure if you'd remember how to get there."

"I guess a guide couldn't hurt, just in case."

"Good. We can walk over, it's not too far. Then Eliot will walk me back to Ezra's for a while before we head home."

Dean listened to her hum as she finished his pants. He lay his head back on the sofa and closed his eyes. He had no idea what she was humming, but he enjoyed the sound of her voice. A few minutes later, she spoke and he opened his eyes.

"Here you are," she said, holding out his pants.

Dean stood. With one hand, he grabbed the pants. He wrapped the other gently around Evelyn's wrist. When she found she couldn't pull away, she stared at him. There was no smile on his face.

"Would it be totally inappropriate if I kissed you now?" he asked.

His face moved a bit closer to hers, causing her breath to catch a little. Her mouth was suddenly very dry, and she licked her lips.

"Standing in your underwear... in another man's apartment? Just a little," she said.

A small smile pulled at Dean's lips, and he released Evelyn's wrist.

"Well, when you put it that way," he said.

He pulled his pants back on while Evelyn put the ironing board away. When she returned to the living room, Dean was fumbling with the suspenders. She took them from him and put them over her shoulder while she buttoned his shirt. Dean just stared down at her. When she was done with the buttons, she backed away and started straightening out the suspenders.

"Tuck in your shirt," she said. Dean followed her direction, then she helped him finish getting dressed.

"Thanks," he said as she helped him into his jacket.

"No trouble at all. This is what I do for a living."

Dean got into his coat and picked up his hat. He extended his arm for Evelyn as he had seen Eliot do.

"Shall we?"

Evelyn smiled and put her hand through his arm. Dean knew he did something right when he saw that smile. He put his hat on, and they walked out.

It was roughly a fifteen minute walk to the diner. Evelyn asked Dean to tell her a little about the future. He didn't know what he should tell her. According to 'Back to the Future,' it wasn't a good idea to know too much about what was to come. But should he really go by a movie?

Dean told her about the trivial little things. Cassette tapes and CDs. Home computers. She seemed intrigued, but her face became somber.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Do we beat the Nazis?"

"Yes, we do."

"Good," she said with a sigh.

As they approached Eliot's car, he got out an walked over to them.

"Any sign of him?" Dean asked.

"Not yet. Girl's inside. Just sit tight and follow her when she leaves."

"Got it." Dean turned to Evelyn and smiled.

"Thank you for the company."

"You're welcome."

She couldn't hide her smile, or the blush that colored her cheeks. Dean got behind the wheel and Eliot took Evelyn's arm as they started down the street toward Ezra's shop.

"You two looked mighty chummy," Eliot said.

"Well, I did get him out of his pants back at your apartment."

"What?" Eliot stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at Evelyn for just a second, then he turned back toward the car. "I'll kill him."

"Eliot, stop!" Evelyn grabbed his arm. "Don't snap your cap. I ironed them... they were all wrinkled because he slept in them. Learn to take a joke."

He visibly calmed and took her arm again.

"That wasn't funny. You know how I feel about you and hunters."

"I know, but I'm not a kid anymore."

"I know. Trust me... I know."


	4. Chapter 4

A week passed and there was still no sign of Chronos. Eliot and Dean had continued their shift surveillance with no luck. When Dean met Eliot one night to take over, Eliot stayed, motioning for Dean to climb into the passenger seat, and talked. They agreed that a more casual monitoring might be better.

"This is getting us nowhere," Eliot said. "I'll get a few flat foots to watch the girl. They'll let me know if our guy shows up."

"Awesome," Dean said. "So, what do we do?"

"Whatever we want. Shift's over. We're gonna work regular hours on some non-monster cases until Chronos shows his face again."

"So, I still get to be a 'consultant?'"

"Yep. Oh, I almost forgot." Eliot reached into his inside coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to Dean. "Your pay for the week. If you're stuck here for a while, at least you can earn an honest living, right?"

"Thanks. I'm gonna have to get used to the exchange rate. In my time, you're lucky if a dollar buys you a pack of gum."

"Ouch."

"Tell me about it."

Eliot drove back to Ezra's. Evelyn was just coming out of the back with her coat and purse when the guys walked in.

"Haven't seen much of you two lately," she said. "Especially not together. Is something wrong?"

"No," Eliot said. "Everything's dandy. We just keep comin' up short on Chronos. I'm stickin' some flat foots on the girl."

"Good. Then you can take this girl out to dinner."

"Honey, I'm beat. I've been in that car since well before dawn. I'm ready to lie down."

"I'll take you," Dean said. "That is, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind," Evelyn said with a grin. She turned to Eliot and put a hand on his arm. "You sure you don't wanna come?"

Eliot glared at Dean for a moment before answering. "No. I need sleep."

"Okay," Evelyn said. She lifted herself slightly on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Good night."

"Good night."

Dean put his arm out for Evelyn and they walked down the street together. They went to a diner closer to their apartment building. When they walked in, Dean noticed a jukebox in the corner. He made change and handed the coins to Evelyn.

"For music," he said. The smile on her face was worth so much more than the amount of money in her hand.

She walked over to the jukebox as Dean walked over to a table. He found one with a good view of the machine so he could watch Evelyn when she got up to change the music. He put his hat on the edge of the table and shrugged out of his heavy coat. When Evelyn finally joined him, he helped her out of her coat.

Duke Ellington's 'In a Sentimental Mood' filled the air. The waitress came over and took their orders, and they talked while they waited.

"So," Evelyn said, "I told you my story. How about you?"

Dean told her about Azazel and his parents.

"I've been in this life pretty much since I was four. I mean, dad wasn't dragging me to hunts at that age, but I had an idea of what was happening."

Evelyn reached out and took Dean's hand, which was resting on top of the table. "I'm sorry. So, your brother... he's probably looking for you back in your time."

"Probably."

"What happens if you can't get back? If you kill Chronos..."

Dean squeezed her hand. "Ezra said it best. 1944 ain't so bad."

"Dean..."

"Your song stopped."

Evelyn pulled her hand from Dean's, realizing he was right. She walked over to the jukebox and looked over the song selections again. She felt a presence behind her, and was about to turn around when she heard his voice, very soft.

"Play something we can dance to."

"We talkin' a jive?" she asked with a nervous grin, Dean still close behind her.

"No."

She pressed the button for Billie Holiday's 'You Go to My Head.' As the music started she turned and Dean took one of her hands in his. He placed her other hand on his shoulder then let his rest at her back.

_You go to my head  
And you linger like a haunting refrain  
And I find you spinning 'round in my brain  
Like a bubble in a glass of champagne._

Evelyn was a wreck inside. A nervous jitteriness in the her chest grew and grew.

"You probably dance with a lot of girls, right?"

"No, actually. I'm not too big on dancing. I just wanted to hold you in my arms... and I figured this would be the most acceptable way to do that."

_You go to my head  
With a smile that makes my temperature rise  
Like a summer with a thousand Julys  
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes_

Evelyn realized she was holding her breath, and she forced herself to exhale.

"You're a smooth talker, Dean Winchester."

"It's been said," he admitted with a shrug, "but I'm being honest."

They danced as the song continued. Dean held her close. Evelyn closed her eyes and hummed along as she rested her head against Dean's shoulder.

When the song ended, Dean reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a coin.

"Play another one," he said with a smile.

Evelyn took the coin and turned back to the jukebox. Dean walked up behind her and put his hands on her arms as he looked over her shoulder.

"Who sang that last one?"

"Billie Holiday."

"Play another one by her. I kinda liked it."

Evelyn found 'Born to Love,' and pushed the button. Dean took her back into his arms, the way they were for the last song.

The diner cleared out as they danced to song after song, until they were the only ones left. The owner finally spoke from behind the counter.

"I hate to interrupt," he said, "but I have to close up."

Evelyn pulled away from Dean at the sound of the man's voice, almost as if she was startled out of a dream. Dean held on to her hand so she couldn't pull away completely.

"Sorry," Dean said, "I guess we lost track of time."

He walked Evelyn back to the table and helped her into her coat before putting on his own. He put a few extra dollars on the table and nodded at the owner as he put on his hat.

They walked silently down the street. Dean had reached for her hand again, and she gladly gave it to him. When they were at her apartment door, Dean waited for her to step inside and turn back to him. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger for just a moment.

"Good night," he said, smiling at her.

"Good night." Her voice came out just above a whisper.

She hesitantly closed the door and leaned back against it, letting out a breath.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean and Evelyn spent each night of the next week in that diner, feeding the jukebox. The owner even cleared a table from the area of the floor where they danced, giving them more room. He gave Dean a wink whenever they entered.

Dean had never spent so much time with a woman he found attractive without so much as a kiss. Sure, he had kissed her hand, and her cheek, and she even kissed his cheek once, but a real kiss hadn't happened yet. Oddly enough, Dean was okay with that. He wanted to kiss Evelyn more than anything, but something about this woman made him want to be an absolute gentlemen. He knew it had something to do with actually being in 1944. It also had to do with watching the way Eliot treated her, but it was her reaction to how he treated her. Dean had seen women all but swoon when he turned on the charm, but the more he caught on to the chivalry thing, the more he saw how Evelyn truly appreciated it.

Evelyn was waiting for him at work one evening when he and Eliot finally came into the store.

"Where's Ezra?" Eliot asked.

"Storage room," Evelyn said, pointing to the back.

Eliot went back to talk to Ezra. Evelyn smiled at Dean, and he leaned onto the counter.

"How's it goin', sweetheart?"

"Fine. I'm almost done here, then we can go."

"Actually..."

Just as the smile on Dean's face faded, Eliot came back out with Ezra on his heels. He threw Dean the keys to his car.

"Ezra and I are gonna get together what we need. You take Evelyn home."

"What going on?" Evelyn asked.

Dean took Evelyn's hand and pulled her around the counter. "I'll tell you on the way."

Evelyn grabbed her coat and purse, and Dean led her to the car. Once they were on their way, Dean told her what was happening.

"Eliot got word of a vampire nest a couple towns over. We're gonna take care of it."

"An entire nest with just the two of you?"

"It's a small one. Me and my brother have done this before. You just have to be on your toes."

Dean pulled up in front of their apartment building and went around to help Evelyn out of the car. They stood at the bottom of the concrete staircase in front of the building. Evelyn pulled her coat closed against the cold wind. When Dean noticed, he pulled her against him, wrapping her in the folds of his open coat.

"Better?"

"Much better."

Evelyn's arms wrapped around his waist beneath his coat as she lay her head against his shoulder. She took a deep breath. She could feel Dean's hands on her back through her coat, holding her close.

"Dean... please be careful."

"We will."

Evelyn shook her head and looked up at him. "No. I need you to really understand. I've accepted the fact that once Chronos shows up again, you could find a way to get back to 2012. You'll be gone. I get that. But... I can't lose you in 1944. Especially not to vampires."

Evelyn looked down. A moment later she felt Dean's finger beneath her chin, lifting her face to his. He slowly leaned in, and their lips touched. When Evelyn responded, Dean's grip around her waist tightened. He felt a familiar sensation run through his body and broke the kiss before it went further than Evelyn was ready for.

"I need to get back," he said. "Eliot's waiting."

Evelyn touched her lips to his again, letting them linger before pulling away. "Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise."

Evelyn pulled herself away and jogged up the stairs, not wanting to look back at Dean. She knew if she did she would just run back into his arms. Once in her apartment, she went straight to the shower. There was no point in staying dressed. After her shower, she put on her night gown and put on a record. Billie Holiday. Evelyn would always think of Dean when listening to Billie now. They danced to a lot of her songs, but there was one that Evelyn hadn't played yet with Dean around. She played that song as she fixed dinner.

_Someday he'll come along  
The man I love  
And he'll be big and strong  
The man I love  
And when he comes my way  
I'll do my best to make him stay_

She sang along and let the lyrics fill her mind with images of her and Dean.

She stayed up until the record finished, then she decided to go to bed. Sleep wouldn't come easily, but she lay there in the dark praying for the two men she cared about more than anything to come back to her safely.

The next day was Sunday, and Ezra's shop was closed. Evelyn almost wished she were able to work as she sat around waiting to hear from Eliot and Dean. They would likely be going into the nest soon, having waited for daylight to catch the vampires sleeping... hopefully. Still, it was risky.

It was almost three o'clock in the afternoon when there was a loud knock at the door. Evelyn pulled on her robe, walked to the door and looked through the peephole. She saw Eliot leaning against her doorframe and quickly opened the door. Her eyes went wide at the sight of him. His face was bruised and he was holding his arm awkwardly.

"Where's Dean?"

Eliot motioned to the floor beside him where Dean was sitting back against the wall. Evelyn dropped to her knees and looked him over. He seemed a little out of it. He held a cloth over a large wound where his neck met his shoulder, and he was in close competition with Eliot for bruises. He had already shed his coat and jacket. His shirt was stained with blood.

"I couldn't hold him up anymore," Eliot said. "I think my arm is broken."

"Help me get him inside."

With his good arm, Eliot helped Evelyn lift Dean from the floor and she was able to support his weight as she led him to the sofa. Eliot locked the door behind him.

"Why didn't you go to a hospital?" she asked as she pulled Dean's shirt off, leaving him in his undershirt.

"He wouldn't go," Eliot said. "He wanted to come here."

"He's almost passed out, you couldn't make him go?"

"Hey, I figured he must have a reason for not wanting to go."

Dean's voice came out weak. "You said you patched up Eliot all the time."

"I do, but..."

"Well, get to patchin'."

Evelyn sighed. "Eliot, come hold this cloth on him."

She stood and let Eliot take her spot on the sofa. In the kitchen, she pulled a glass bowl from the cabinet and ran hot water in it to make sure it was clean. She let the water run while she grabbed a few clean wash cloths. After adjusting the water temperature, she filled the bowl with warm water and sat it in Dean's lap.

"Keep this steady," she said, placing his hands around it.

She gently cleaned his wound as he fought against the pain. He tilted his head to the side to give her better access, and to hide his face as he winced. Evelyn glanced at Eliot and saw the pain on his face as he tried to keep his arm still.

"You know I can't set your arm if it's broken," she said. "You still have to go to the hospital."

"I will. I just wanna make sure he doesn't pass out on you."

"I'm fine," Dean said.

Evelyn ignored him. "Tell me what happened. We should know by then if he's okay."

"I said, I'm fine."

"Yes, I know what you said." She turned her attention back to Eliot. "What happened?"

"We got ambushed by a couple of vampires we couldn't see. One grabbed Dean from behind and bit into him pretty good before I could do anything about it. Hurt my arm in the process."

"Did you get all of them?"

"Yeah. Dean got most of 'em. Kid's a maniac with a machete."

A small grin spread across Dean's face and Evelyn knew he would be okay.

"Go get your arm looked at. I'll take care of the maniac."

Eliot left as Evelyn finished bandaging Dean's wound. She removed the bowl from his lap and put it on the coffee table. When she moved to stand up, Dean grabbed her wrist. She looked into his eyes, and he smiled. With a hand behind her head, he pulled her in for a kiss. Evelyn put her hand on his face, and the kiss deepened. Her hand slid down his neck and brushed over the bandage, causing her to pull away.

"You promised me you'd be careful."

"We were careful. Things happen."

Evelyn ran her fingers lightly over the bruises on Dean's face. He saw the concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine, Ev."

"I know you are. I've been here with Eliot enough times to tell when it's really bad."

"Then what's wrong?"

"It was so close... Just an inch to the side and that monster would have ripped a main artery. You wouldn't have even made it back here."

"Lucky for me the thing couldn't aim."

"That's not funny, Dean."

"You know this business. Close calls are in the job description. And honestly, this was nothing compared to some of the things I've been through."

"I just don't like how close I came to losing you."

"Hey," he said as he brushed her hair back, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Unless you find a way to get back to your time." Dean started to say something, but Evelyn cut him off. "You have a brother looking for you. If you find a way to get home, you can't pass it up."

"You're right. I do have a reason to get back to 2012... but I also have a reason to stay in 1944."

"Do you?"

Dean nodded as he leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back with more passion than Dean was expecting. His hand instinctively found the belt of her robe and began to loosen the knot, but he caught himself. He slowly pulled out of their kiss and let his hand fall to the sofa.

"I think I should go wait at Eliot's."

"Nonsense. You're hurt. I can't leave you alone. You'll stay right here 'til he gets back." Evelyn stood and tightened her robe again. "I'll get you a pillow and blanket. Maybe you can teach me some of the music from your time."

Dean let out a laugh. "You might find some of my music a little offensive."

"I'll be the judge. You've listened to my music. You can share some of yours."

Evelyn laid a pillow on the sofa and helped Dean lie back. She moved to unfold the blanket, but Dean said he didn't need it, so she laid it on the back of the sofa.

"Come on," she said, "sing me a song." She sat on the sofa and pulled Dean's legs over her lap.

Dean thought for a minute. Evelyn called to his mind a lot of songs that he decided weren't the most appropriate. But one song... one line... He decided to sing "What Is and What Should Never Be" by his favorite band. Led Zeppelin.

Evelyn saw a twinkle in his eye when he sang "you will be mine by taking our time."

When he finished, Evelyn was smiling. "I have to be honest... I didn't understand a lot of that."

"A lot of music in the future is like that."

"I think I understood one line though."

"I hope it was the line I wanted you to understand."

Evelyn hesitated, but asked the question despite the butterflies in her stomach.

"Do you really want me to be yours?"

"It's the only reason I have to stay in 1944."

Evelyn maneuvered herself from under Dean's legs and gently squeezed sideways into the space between him and the sofa. She laid light kisses from his cheek to his jaw. When she reached the corner of his mouth, Dean turned his head and captured her lips, bringing his hand up and burying it in her hair. When he tried to pull Evelyn on top of him, pain ripped through his neck and shoulder. He grunted and pulled away. Evelyn pushed herself up and stood. She went into the kitchen and came back with a glass.

"If you had gone to the hospital they would have given you something for the pain. All I can give you is Whiskey."

"That'll work."

Evelyn helped him sit up and he downed the glass.

"Easy, cowboy. Let's get you lying back."

Evelyn fixed his pillow and covered him with the blanket despite his protests. She knelt on the floor next to him and ran her fingers through his hair. A smile pulled at her lips when he closed his eyes and let out a contented little hum. She stayed there until he fell asleep. She collected the dishes and the now soiled wash cloths and cleaned up, then sat in a chair, watching Dean sleep as she waited for Eliot to return.


	6. Chapter 6

When Eliot finally got back, Dean was still sound asleep on Evelyn's sofa.

"How's your arm?" Evelyn whispered.

He motioned to his arm, which was held in place with a sling. "Just a fracture. I'm beat. I'm gonna grab him and go."

"No," Evelyn said as Eliot walked toward Dean. "Just let him sleep."

Eliot gave her an untrusting look. "I don't know if I like that idea."

"Oh, come on. The man has a hole in his neck. What are we gonna do? He's in pain. If you wake him up, he'll be in more pain. Leave him here... I'll take care of him."

Eliot left after some convincing. Evelyn decided to call Ezra to see if she could skip work the next day to take care of Dean. Ezra seemed a bit skeptical that Dean would need taking care of, but she told Evelyn to take the day off.

She spent the rest of the night reading so she wouldn't disturb Dean. When she felt her eyes getting heavy, she climbed into bed. She let the feel of his lips on hers play through her head as she drifted off to sleep.

It seemed that once Dean was asleep, his body craved it. He woke up just a few minutes at a time the next day. Each time, Evelyn would give him a glass of Whiskey to help the pain, change his bandage, and sit by his side until he fell back to sleep. She called Ezra again to ask for another day off. Ezra told her to take as much time as Dean needed to get better. They would need him well for whenever Chronos popped back up.

She read again that night. She sat sideways in her high-back chair, with her legs hanging over the arm. She later realized that she had dozed off. She quietly made her way to the bedroom.

When Dean woke the next night, he sat up on his own. Evelyn could tell it hurt him, but he was determined. She let him, only because it didn't seem to hurt as badly as before.

"Come sit next to me," he said, patting the spot where he was just laying. When she sat down, Dean placed a quick, gentle kiss on her lips. "Thanks for taking care of me."

"What was I supposed to do? Let you bleed to death?"

Dean lifted Evelyn's legs and pulled them over his lap. He took her face in his hands and stared into her eyes for a moment before completely capturing her lips. One of his hands moved to her ankle and slowly slid up her leg until it was beneath the fabric of her nightgown, just below her knee. Evelyn gasped softly when his mouth moved from hers to her neck.

When Dean reached to pull his undershirt off, he felt the pain again. He let out a grunt, and pulled away.

"Dammit." He looked at Evelyn, wanting her more than ever, but knowing it wasn't the right time. "I guess that's a sign I should back off, huh?"

Evelyn responded by placing very light kisses around the bandaged area of Dean's neck and shoulder. She spoke between kisses.

"Do you remember when you suggested going back to Eliot's apartment?"

"Yeah," Dean said. His eyes were closed, enjoying the feel of her lips on his skin.

"I'm beginning to think that may be a good idea... now that you're feeling better."

Dean took over and started kissing her neck again. "Get a little space?"

"Yeah," she said breathlessly.

"Away from temptation?"

"But not too far."

"Of course not."

Dean kissed her once more before pulling away. Evelyn stared at his mouth, lightly tracing his lips with her fingers. He smiled at her, not wanting to pull her from her thoughts, whatever they may be.

"Sweetheart, if I'm gonna leave, you'll have to get up."

Evelyn reluctantly stood and helped Dean gather his things. She stood in her doorway and watched Dean walk to Eliot's apartment. Once he had the door open, he smiled back at her and neither of them moved. Dean eventually shook his head with a chuckle.

"Go on... go back in and lock up."

"Goodnight," she said.

"Goodnight. Sweet dreams."

"You bet," she said with a smile. She shut the door, and Dean went into Eliot's apartment.

Just a few days later, Dean was doing a lot better. He no longer needed the bandage. The wound had scarred over and it no longer hurt him, accept on the surface if he turned his head too far. He and Eliot had just returned from work one night when they got the call. A cop had spotted Chronos around the diner.

"Let's go," Eliot said.

"Wait a sec. I gotta talk to Ev, first," Dean said.

"Why?"

"We don't know what's gonna happen to me when we kill him. She has to know we're going after him. I owe her that much."

"Alright. I'll leave my car at the diner for you if we have to follow him. If I'm not there when you get there, head to Lila's house. Got it?"

"Got it."

As Dean started out the door, he glanced at a pile of mail and got an idea. He had to let Sam know what was happening. Sam may not even know what happened to him when he disappeared. He could send Sam a letter, like in Back to the Future when Doc sent Marty a letter from the old west... but Sam was in an abandoned house. Squatting. He didn't want the post office snooping around. He'd have to get the letter inside that house... if the house was built yet. He dated the letter at the top and quickly wrote out everything Sam needed to know.

He walked over to Evelyn's and knocked on the door. She was smiling when she opened it, but the smile faded when she saw his weak smile.

"What's wrong?"

"Chronos is back. I'm on my way to meet Eliot, but I wanted to let you know."

Evelyn nodded, and Dean pulled out the letter to Sam.

"I wrote a letter to my brother. I'm gonna put it in the house he's staying in, in 2012... somewhere he'll see it, hopefully." He held the paper out to her. "I want you to read it."

Evelyn held the letter and read it. "What's 'banging some chick' mean?"

Dean looked almost embarrassed. "It's, uh... well, a chick... It's not important. Read the next paragraph."

He pointed to the part he wanted her to read, and she couldn't help but smile at how flustered he had gotten. His reaction gave her a clue as to what it meant. She kept it to herself. She read the next part aloud.

"I met a girl, Sammy." She looked up into his eyes and saw him smiling at her. "Her name is Evelyn... I wish you could meet her. If you can't find a way to get me back, it's okay. I like being here with her. I think I might even..."

Evelyn stopped reading as tears filled her eyes and her voice threatened to crack. Dean took the letter and folded it, putting it in his pocket. He took her hand in his and finished the sentence for her.

"...be falling in love with her."

"This is an awful way to tell a girl this, right before you go chase after an angry god."

"It's the perfect time. Now, if something does happen, you won't have to ever wonder. You'll know."

"I'd tell you to be careful, but we both know how well that worked last time."

"So tell me something else," he said with a grin.

"Will you do your best to get back to me in one piece?"

"I will. I promise."

She hesitated, almost afraid of the words, but when Dean put his hand to her face and brushed her cheek with his thumb, she knew she had to say it. She knew it was true.

"I love you, Dean Winchester."

"I love you, Evelyn Hartley."

Dean kissed her gently, and then pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his coat.

"I have to go," he whispered. He gently pulled her away and managed to give her a smile.

Evelyn watched him walk away before going back inside. She put on a Billie Holiday record and tried to think positive.

Several hours later, there was a knock at her door. She opened it to find Eliot standing there with a hat in his hand, but his own hat was already on his head. He held the hat out to her and she shook her head as she took it.

"No," she whispered.

"We're not sure what happened," Eliot said. "Chronos had Dean and, all of a sudden they were in this red light. I threw Dean the stake and they both just disappeared."

Evelyn walked slowly to her sofa and sat down. Eliot followed her, closing the door behind himself. He sat next to Evelyn as she ran her fingers over Dean's hat, just staring at it. He finally put his arm around her, and she lay against his chest, crying.


	7. Chapter 7

Dean and Chronos landed with a thud. The impact sent the stake in Dean's hand flying across the room. He was relieved when Chronos' hands, which were squeezing the life out of him, left his throat. A woman rushed to his side. Evelyn? No. It couldn't be. As he caught his breath he heard Chronos scream.

"You... destroyed everything."

Sam called out to Chronos, ramming the stake into his heart as he turned around. His veins pulsed with light through his skin with each final beat of his heart.

Dean finally realized the woman holding him on the floor was Jody Mills. He struggled to get up, but when Jody tried to help he shook his head.

"I'm fine," he said with a hoarse voice.

Sam hugged his brother, and Dean returned it. He was honestly glad to see Sam, but a part of him wasn't happy to be back in 2012. "Did you get my letter?"

"Yeah, I did."

Sadness and disappointment flashed across Dean's face. "Why did you keep looking for me?"

Sam hesitated, and Jody spoke before he had the chance. "You really do love that girl, don't you?"

When Dean shot a surprised look toward Jody, Sam finally spoke. "She was helping me find you, Dean. I let her read the letter. And we brought you back because you'd be dead if we hadn't. After I read your letter, I was gonna let you stay in '44, but I was curious how everything turned out. So, me and Sheriff Mills went and talked to Lila Taylor. She said Chronos killed you... choked the life out of you."

"Well, he was doing that, alright."

"I couldn't let you die, man."

Dean nodded, but the sadness remained in his eyes. He looked around the room. He had been in this house when it was new. He saw it now with a nostalgic feeling gripping his chest. A thought entered his mind, and he turned back to Sam.

"You said you spoke to Lila? She's still alive?"

"Yeah, pretty old and out of it, but alive."

"Where's your laptop?"

Sam, with a furrowed brow, walked to his laptop, and Dean followed.

"Evelyn Hartley," Dean said. "Can you find anything on her?"

Sam did some searching, and after several minutes he found a link to a Canton newspaper archive website. When he followed the link, his face fell a little.

"What?" Dean asked.

"It's a short article." Sam turned the computer so Dean could see. "Evelyn went missing, Spring of '45."

Dean's eyes silently scanned the article after he read the headline, "Eliot Ness Heads Search for Missing Local Woman."

"Eliot's like family to her. If he's heading up the search, something must really be wrong."

"Dean... Eliot Ness is dead now. There's nothing here about Evelyn ever being found."

"Well, I'll find her."

"Where do you start? Dean, you have no clue what happened to her."

"Sheriff," Dean said, "can you find out about this case? Anything at all?"

"I don't know. A missing person, outside of my jurisdiction? You guys might have more luck with your FBI charade, though you didn't hear that from me. But I'll try."

"Thanks," Dean said. "Meanwhile," he said turning to Sam, "we look for a way to get me back there... or get her here."

"Seriously?"

"You brought me back because you found out I was killed. You expect any less from me when I find out Evelyn is missing?"

"No..." Sam said. "No, I guess not."

* * *

Evelyn cried into Eliot's coat until she had no tears left. He did his best to try to console her, but his words were empty to her. Dean was gone. She didn't know to where or when, or if he was even still alive. She finally stood on shaky legs and went into the kitchen. She poured herself some whiskey. The same whiskey she had given to Dean to ease his pain when she took care of him. Eliot followed her.

"You sure you wanna do that?" he asked.

Evelyn downed the liquid in one swallow and poured more, this time filling the glass.

"That's gonna hit you like a train in a few minutes," he said.

"Good," Evelyn said. Her voice had no life in it. Her eyes were heavy and filled with heartbreak.

Eliot grabbed the glass from her hand as she lifted it to take another drink. "Damn it, Evelyn. I won't let you do this to yourself. He didn't belong here. He was gonna leave anyway."

"No, he wasn't."

"If he could find a way, he was."

"He wasn't! He wrote a letter to his brother. He let me read it. It said he was happy here. That he found a girl... he told me he loves me, Eliot."

Her last words were broken by sobs as the tears built again. Eliot put the glass on the counter and pulled Evelyn into his arms.

"I'm sorry, kid."

They stood there for several minutes, even after Evelyn stopped crying. He eventually pulled her away and looked into her red and swollen eyes.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get you to sleep."

He took her hand and led her to the bedroom. As he pulled back the covers, she climbed in. He pulled the sheets up around her neck and tucked them around her.

"I don't know if I can sleep," she said.

"You'll sleep when that whiskey hits." He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. "I'll tell Ezra you're not coming in tomorrow. I'm sure she'll understand."

"I have to find him, Eliot."

"I don't have a clue how to even begin to look for him."

"It doesn't matter. I have to. I at least have to know what happened to him... even if I can't get to him."

Eliot gave a heavy sigh and put his hand on hers. "I'll talk to Ezra... see what she can come up with. If she can come up with anything at all."

Evelyn sat up and hugged Eliot, kissing his cheek. "Thank you."

"Don't get your hopes up," he said. He gently laid her back down and turned her light out. "Get some sleep. I'll lock up on my way out."


	8. Chapter 8

Dean worked his cases as usual, but every spare minute he had was spent looking for a way to get to Evelyn. One case in particular kept him interested for more than one reason. A man stumbling out of their motel closet was enough to pique their interest, but when the man asked for John Winchester, Sam and Dean became defensive. It turned out the man was John's father. Their grandfather. Henry Winchester. He had traveled from 1958 to escape a very powerful demon named Abaddon, but she followed him through the door he had created.

When Sam and Dean came into possession of a key, they became Abaddon's target. She took Sam and gave Dean the deal: Sam in exchange for Henry and the key. Dean and Henry worked out a plan to get Sam back without giving up the key, but it would put Henry in harms way. Henry agreed to do it.

"You do that for blood," he said.

The exchange was made and Abaddon was defeated, but Henry was killed. Sam and Dean buried him, but he had told them a few things they didn't know.

Henry Winchester, just like his father before him, was part of a secret organization called the Men of Letters. They collected and preserved knowledge of all things supernatural. The group shared information with certain hunters in an effort to rid the world of evil creatures. As Winchesters, John, Dean, and Sam should have been legacy members in the Men of Letters, but Henry disappeared before he ever told John about the organization.

The other reason Dean was interested was the fact that Henry time traveled on his own. No help from angels or the god of time... just Henry. His hopes rose to get back to Evelyn, but they were just as quickly deflated when he told them how he had done it. It was a blood sigil and a spell. It led you to blood, or that blood's next of kin. Dean wouldn't be able to use it to get to Evelyn.

The key, they found out, was to a place in Lebanon, Kansas that stored all the things the MOL had collected from over thousands of years. The door, in the side of a hill, led to a huge underground bunker.

Dean and Sam scoped the place out. A kitchen, showers, bedrooms, a library... It had everything they could possibly need.

"Oh, I think we just found our new place," Dean said.

"It's not a bad idea," Sam said. "This place is supposed to be protected from anything supernatural."

Sam headed straight toward the bookshelves lining the walls, scanning the titles. Dean took in the whole room before the urge to claim his territory finally took him over.

"I'm gonna go pick out my room," he said with a grin.

A few days later, they were still looking through boxes and different areas of the bunker. Dean discovered a box of old records and flipped through them.

"This sucks. No rock at all. I'll have to buy some. Didn't we pass a record store a few towns over?"

"Uh, yeah. I think so."

Dean continued to flip through the albums, and stopped when a somewhat familiar name caught his eye. Billie Holiday. He pulled the album from the box, and saw another behind it. Thoughts of dancing with Evelyn and holding her close flashed through his mind. He turned the album over to the back cover to read the song listing. He recognized at least one of the song titles, so he placed the album on the record player and let Billie take him back to 1944 as he continued looking through boxes.

Sam couldn't hide the look of surprise on his face as he heard the music playing. "Really, dude?"

"Shut up," Dean said without looking up.

_In my solitude you'll haunt me  
With reveries of days gone by  
In my solitude you'll taunt me  
With memories that never die_

_I sit in my chair  
Filled with despair  
There's no one could be so sad  
With gloom everywhere  
I sit and I stare  
I know that I'll soon go mad_

_In my solitude I'm praying  
Dear Lord above  
Send back my love_

When Evelyn woke the day after Dean disappeared, he was the first thing she thought of. As soon as her mind had a conscious thought, it was of Dean's arms around her as they danced. She would have stayed in bed and cried, but the sofa called to her. She pulled the pillow and blanket Dean had used from the closet, and lay where he had as she tended to his wound. As she passed the record player, she put on Billie Holiday's 'Solitude.' How long would she have to wait to hear from Ezra?

As the words of the song washed over her, she hugged the pillow tight, breathing in his scent which lingered slightly. She softly cried herself back to sleep.

The next day, she knew she had to work. Ezra told her she should take more time off, but Evelyn knew she really would go mad, as the song said, if she did. She worked the store when necessary, but she mostly prodded Ezra about looking for a way to get to Dean. So far, Ezra hadn't found anything.

Eliot hoped that Christmas would lift her spirits. Evelyn had always loved Christmas, so he tried to make this one extra special for her. She allowed herself to be happy for a while, enjoying Eliot and Ezra's company, but Eliot could tell she was hiding her sadness.

He watched her go through the motions as the months passed. All she did was work and try to find Dean. He got a call in April, and thought it might do Evelyn some good.

Evelyn answered her door and let Eliot in. Billie Holiday was playing. It seemed to be all she listened to anymore.

"I want you to come with me," he said.

"Where?"

"There's this group that sometimes gives me a heads up on a job, or gives me a way to kill whatever I'm after... they called me today, and I explained your situation." Evelyn seemed to perk up as Eliot continued. "They were a little hesitant to use what they know just to help you get to someone you love, but they said they wanted to meet you and they would decide from there. They have a local chapter in the area, but they want us to go to a secure place in Kansas."

"Do you really think they can help?"

"If anyone can, it's the Men of Letters."


	9. Chapter 9

Evelyn spent most of the car ride asking questions that Eliot couldn't answer.

"Evelyn, it's a 'secret' organization. I've told you pretty much everything I know."

"I just can't believe you never mentioned them before. You've always been so open with me."

"These guys trust me to keep their secrets. They give me a lot of good information in return. A lot. Ezra doesn't even know about these guys, okay?"

"Really?"

"Really."

"That makes me feel a little better."

They drove on in silence for a while before they hit another big city. Evelyn decided to try the radio. When she finally found a spot on the tuner that played more than static, her hand froze.

_The way your smile just beams  
The way you sing off key  
The way you changed my life  
No, no they can't take that away from me_

Evelyn sat back in the car seat and closed her eyes. She remembered the night Dean sang to her. He had been very much off key... at least, it sounded like it, considering she didn't know the song he was singing. There were definitely some bad notes in there, but she had loved it. Just listening to him made her happy. Just thinking about it made her smile. And his smile... it certainly did beam.

Eliot eventually stopped at a motel for the night. He got a room for each of them, right next to each other, and carried Evelyn's bag as he escorted her to her door. She unlocked the room and hesitantly turned back to Eliot.

"Do you really think these Men of Letters will be able to help me find Dean?"

"I don't know... but I think they'll try."

"I guess that's all I can ask for, isn't it?"

Eliot gave her a small smile and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Evelyn."

"Goodnight," she said. She went inside and locked the door behind her.

It was late the next afternoon when they reached their destination. A decrepit-looking place with an entrance in the side of a hill.

"I guess if you wanna stay secret this is the place to do it," Evelyn said. "Who would think to look in this place?"

Eliot fought a smile. "Wait 'til you see inside." He knocked on the door and it opened a moment later.

Evelyn's eyes grew wide as she walked in. "Wow," she whispered.

"Told ya," Eliot said. "And you ain't seen half of it."

"And she likely won't," a man said as he approached. He shook Eliot's hand. "How are you, Ness?"

"Not too bad, David." Eliot motioned to Evelyn. "This is Evelyn, the girl I told you about."

David extended his hand to her, and she took it. "You know," he said, "we only agreed to meet with you because you're so close to Eliot."

"I understand that," she said.

"He's done a lot of good work for us."

"He's done a lot for me, too," she said with a smile. "Including this."

"Well," David said, "let's not count this one yet. We don't know for sure if we can help you."

"Just the fact that you're going to try means so much to me."

"Well," David said with a smile, "let me introduce you to the others."

There were three other men there, all eager to hear what Evelyn had to say about the man from the future with whom she fell in love. They sat around a large table, with a map on it. Eliot told them how he came to meet Evelyn, then Evelyn talked about Dean, with Eliot filling in the details of the case with Chronos.

"This fellow, Dean," said an older, thin man in glasses, "what was his last name?"

"Winchester," Evelyn said. She watched as the man's eyes grew wider, and he looked to David. David whispered to the man next to him, and that man disappeared down a hall. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong," David said. "We would just like to bring someone else in on this."

"Sure," Evelyn said, "if it will help."

They waited in silence. Evelyn stared down at her hands in her lap as she played with her fingers. The man who had gone down the hall returned with another man behind him. Evelyn took one look at him and stood from her chair. Her hand flew up to her mouth and she rushed toward him, but stopped short of touching him. A tall, lean man in a suit, with a strong, chiseled jaw stood before her. Familiar emerald green eyes stared down at her, but subtle differences were there. She took a step back, feeling behind her for her chair, unable to take her eyes off of the man in front of her. Eliot, who had stood along with Evelyn when he saw the man enter, led Evelyn back to her chair.

The man extended his hand to Evelyn. "John Winchester."

She slowly reached out and took his hand, almost afraid to touch him. "Evelyn Hartley." She stared up at the man. "You look just like him," she whispered.

"John," David interjected, "we believe the man she is trying to get to may be a descendant of yours. From her reaction to seeing you, it's very likely."

"Really?" John asked. "What can you tell me about my future family?"

David interrupted before Evelyn could answer. "You know she can't tell you that. Any knowledge of the future could cause you to alter it."

When John rolled his eyes, Evelyn smiled. A nervous chuckle escaped her throat, causing all eyes to go to her.

"I'm sorry," John said, "is something funny, dear?"

"You just... really look like Dean." John's eyes on her gave her such an intense feeling that she had to look away. "I get that I can't share anything life-changing, but I do know that Dean's father's name is John." Obviously you're not his father, so... grandfather?"

"Perhaps, though I currently have no sons named John. My son's name is Henry."

"How you are related is not important," David said. "The point, gentlemen... and lady," he said with a slight bow, "is blood. We were discussing this before you arrived, Ness. There are many things about time travel that are unknown."

"Everything about time travel is unknown," one of the others insisted.

"Unproven. Not unknown. I began looking as soon as we talked. I found several spells, though none provide any control over where you end up... save for one. Traditionally it has been used to contact one's own relatives through time, by using one's own blood. But what if," David's eyes almost beamed with excitement, "what if you could use someone else's blood to find that person's relations?"

"Will that work?" Evelyn asked, unable to hide her excitement.

"We don't even know if the spell works as written," John said. "It's hard to verify that someone actually traveled into the future."

"The question," David said, "is do you love this man enough to take the risk. We have the blood of a relative right here," he said motioning to John.

"Woah," Eliot said, putting a hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "She's not gonna go traveling through time with no guarantees."

"Good man," John said to Eliot. "There are some other things about the spell she may want to know."

"Such as?"

"Such as, it taps the power of your soul."

"No way."

"Eliot..." Evelyn interrupted.

"She's not doing it."

"Eliot," Evelyn said, standing.

"You're not doing it, Evelyn."

"It's not up to you," she said.

"What if it doesn't work? You'll be stuck somewhere... alone."

"I'm willing to risk it."

"I'll never know if you made it," Eliot whispered.

Evelyn saw his eyes water. For as long as she had known Eliot, she had never seen him cry. A lump grew in her throat, and she wrapped her arms around him.

"I have to do this." She pulled away from Eliot and turned to the others. "I wanna do it."

"John," David said, "may we use your blood?"

"Of course."

David prepared the spell and showed Evelyn how to draw the sigil. She gave Eliot one last hug.

"Thank you... for everything you've ever done for me. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Eliot kissed her forehead before she turned back to David.

"Are you ready?" David asked.

Evelyn took a deep breath. "Yes."

She recited the incantation as she drew the sigil on a door. It glowed with a gold light, and the door began to rattle. When she finished the sigil, she was practically pulled into the door. A moment later, she stumbled through a door in what seemed to be an abandoned building. She struggled to get her bearings as she made her way outside. She staggered through a wooded area until she came to a paved road. She walked along the road without seeing anyone, until the road began to spin in front of her. She leaned against a tree, trying to get the spinning to stop, but she fell to the ground, unconscious.

Beeping slowly woke her from her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open to a dark room. She was in a hospital. Just as she had slowly awakened, she drifted back to sleep. When the beeping woke her again, she found she wasn't alone. Evelyn assumed the woman was the nurse.

"Good morning," the woman said. "Glad to see you awake."

"What happened?" Evelyn asked. Her voice cracked. Her throat was dry.

"You were found on the side of the road. Can you tell me your name, sweetie?"

"Evelyn."

"That's a lovely name. What about your last name?"

"It's..." Evelyn thought hard. "I don't... I don't remember."

"That's okay. Do you know the date?"

"No."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

A panic came over Evelyn as she tried to remember anything at all. "I don't remember."

The nurse came over and put a hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "It's okay. You rest. You may need some time to get everything back. Just take it easy, and I'll bring the doctor in to look you over."

Evelyn nodded, and the nurse headed toward the door.

"Winchester," Evelyn said.

"What's that?"

"My last name... it's Winchester."


	10. Chapter 10

After breakfast, the nurse brought in a newspaper, hoping it would help Evelyn remember something.

"Lebanon Times? What state am I in?"

"Kansas."

"Kansas..." Evelyn repeated in a whisper, trying to spark some kind of recognition. The date on the paper was January 25, 2013.

"Still no memories from before you woke up here?" the nurse asked. Evelyn shook her head. "Well," the nurse said as she walked over to the chair in the corner, "maybe if you see your clothes."

"My clothes? Why would my clothes help me remember?"

The nurse just smiled as she pulled Evelyn's dress from the bag. "It's unique, wouldn't you say? Very nice, but old-fashioned. Maybe from the forties? Were you at a costume party, or something?"

Evelyn held out her hand and felt the dress material. Once again, she shook her head. The dress didn't seem so odd to her. "I just don't remember."

"That's okay. Maybe if you watch some television."

She handed Evelyn the remote. Evelyn turned it over in her hand and stared at it, reading the buttons. "What's this?"

"The tv remote," the nurse said.

"T-v?"

"Honey," she said taking the remote back, "maybe you need more sleep."

* * *

Dean called Jody. Again. He knew he was probably getting on her nerves, but he had to check in.

"Dean, honey, I haven't been able to find anything on Evelyn other than her disappearance. It doesn't look like she was ever found."

"Well, that could be a good thing, right?"

"How so?"

"I don't know, you're the cop. You tell me."

Jody hesitated, "There's one thing I haven't checked, because I didn't think you'd like it."

"What's that?"

"Death certificates. If she was never found, she would have been declared legally dead at some point. At least we would know."

Dean almost went into defensive mode. He and Sam had been through this so many times already. Dean didn't want to believe that Evelyn was dead, but, as Sam pointed out, whether she had been found or not, she would likely no longer be alive in 2013.

"Do it," Dean said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Maybe we'll get some answers."

"Okay, I'll let you know what I find out."

"Thanks, Jody."

She called back three days later. Dean put her on speaker so Sam could listen in, sitting the phone on the table between them.

"Well, I know why there were no more news articles about Evelyn," Jody said.

"Why?"

"She was declared legally dead ten years after she disappeared. Since she had no living family, Eliot kept it quiet."

"Ness died two years later, Dean," Sam said.

"That's right," Jody confirmed."

"So, what you're telling me," Dean said, "is that I have nothing to go on."

"Sorry, kid."

Dean ran a hand over his face as he walked away from the table. Sam picked up the phone and took it off of speaker.

"Thanks, Jody."

"Wish I coulda been more help."

"No, please... you did everything you could."

"Is he okay?"

"At the moment? No. I don't think so."

* * *

"Evelyn," a large, blonde woman behind the counter called out as Evelyn passed, "customers at table three."

"Got it," Evelyn replied with a bright smile.

It had been four months since she was released from the hospital. Her memory never returned, but she was fine medically. The local authorities put out notices and photos of the woman found on the side of the road, but no one came forward to identify her. There was no record of Evelyn Winchester, so there was no life for her to go back to. With the help of a few social programs, she found a place to live and a job at a small restaurant.

After her lunch shift, she ordered a cup of coffee and took it to one of the small tables outside, along with the book she was currently reading. She sat sideways in the chair, with her legs over the arm. This had become her routine. Everyday, unless it was raining. On rainy days, she went home, opened the windows and turned on the radio.

This was a beautiful day, and she found that she was having trouble focusing on her book. She looked up several times to watch as people walked by, or to stare at a cloud that seemed to be moving just a little faster than the rest across the sky.

* * *

Dean was driving, listening to Ramble On. Sam sat quietly in the passenger seat, reading the local paper. They were just headed back into Lebanon after a case, on their way to the bunker. Dean casually glanced over at a small restaurant to his left. He had passed the place at least fifty times going in and out of town since they found the bunker, but something caught his eye this time. He sat up straight as he drove past, then found a place to turn around.

Sam suddenly looked up from his paper. "What the hell, dude?"

Dean parked just a few feet behind a woman sitting sideways in a chair, reading a book. "That's Evelyn," he whispered.

"What?" Sam turned to look at her. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Dean got out of the car and smoothed his hand over his shirt. He walked toward her, and was more sure than before. It was her. A large smile spread across his face as he approached, calling her name.

She looked up, and stood when she saw him coming her way. He practically knocked her over as he wrapped his arms around her. When he pulled her away to look at her, he saw her eyes darting across his face.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Do I know you?"


	11. Chapter 11

Dean's eyebrows came together in confusion. "Of course, you know me."

Evelyn glanced behind Dean and saw Sam walking toward them. "Do I know him?"

Dean looked back to Sam with worry, then turned back to Evelyn. "You've never met him before, but that's my brother... Sam."

Dean could tell Evelyn was really trying to recall the name, and failing. "And... your name?"

"Dean. Dean Winchester."

"Winchester?"

"Yes. You have to remember."

"I'm sorry, I guess I should explain. I don't remember anything beyond waking up in a hospital on January 25. Apparently, I was found the night before, on the side of a road."

"Are you okay?"

"Other than the memory loss, I'm fine."

"You really don't remember anything? At all?"

"All I could remember was my name. Evelyn. They asked for my last name, and I couldn't remember at first... but then I had a strong feeling about the name Winchester."

Dean couldn't help but smile. She might not remember him, but she hadn't completely forgotten about him. Some part of her remembered at least his name.

"So," she said, "you're a Wincester. Are we family?"

"No," Dean said, "you're not a Winchester. Your last name is Hartley."

"Hartley..." Evelyn whispered to herself. "That sounds familiar." Her eyes focused on something far off, trying to remember. Finally, she looked back to Dean. "You said your name is Dean?"

"Yes."

"Do you know an Eliot?"

"Yes!" Dean couldn't hide the excitement he felt over her remembering Eliot. "You remember Eliot?"

"No, I don't." Confusion spread over his face, so she continued. "Would you mind coming back to my place? I have something there that you should probably see."

Dean looked to Sam, and Sam nodded. "Okay," Dean said. "You have a car? We can follow you."

"No, I live just around the corner. I walk to work."

Dean pointed to the restaurant. "You work here?"

"Yeah, but my shift ended over an hour ago."

"Okay, well, hop in and I'll drive us over to your place."

Sam watched, slightly surprised, as Dean walked over to the passenger door and held it open for Evelyn.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

Sam silently slid into the backseat. He fought to hide the smile on his face, knowing Dean wouldn't like it.

They followed her up to her apartment. Dean smiled as she unlocked her door, remembering the times he had stood and waited for her to do the same thing in 1944. Now, just as he had then, he let his eyes wander over her. He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her breathless, but she didn't even remember him.

With her door open, she stepped aside and let Dean and Sam in. "Have a seat," she said, motioning toward the sofa. "It's in the bedroom. Be back in a sec."

Sam sat, and Dean sat next to him once Evelyn was out of the room.

"Dude," Sam said, "did you hear what date she woke up in the hospital?"

"Yeah, I heard."

"She was found the night before. Do you think she actually got here on your birthday?"

"I don't know. I need her to remember."

"You might wanna take it slow. She probably doesn't remember anything about the supernatural world. If you start talking about time travel, she'll think you're nuts."

"You're right. I'll have to figure out a way to help her remember without getting too specific."

Evelyn came back into the room holding an envelope. She handed it to Dean. "I think this may be for you. I had it when I was found. There was nothing on the envelope, so I read it, hoping to find something to spark some kind of memory."

"Nothing?" Dean asked as he pulled a folded piece of paper from the envelope.

"Nothing. The letter is very cryptic, though. I guess you already have to know what it means to understand it."

Dean read the letter silently.

"Dean,

Against my better judgement, I'm letting Evelyn try to find you. If she does, you'd better be good to her... I know you will. If you're interested in how, check out the MOL library. File HAR45. It explains everything.

Hoping this works,  
Eliot."

Dean handed the letter to Sam and pointed out "MOL library." He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and ran a hand over his face.

"The only thing I understand from that letter," Evelyn said, "is that I was trying to find you. Why?"

Dean stood and looked into her eyes. "What would you say if I told you that we were dating... kind of?"

"Were we serious?"

"Very."

"Then I'd say it makes sense that I'd have such a strong feeling about the name Wincheter. But I'd have a question, too."

"What's that?"

"I was trying to find you... why did you leave?"

"I..." Dean lowered his eyes to the floor before gazing back into Evelyn's. "It's not really something I can explain right now. You'd understand better if you remembered." Evelyn nodded. Dean took her hand and held it against his chest. "Everything in me is screaming to take you with me," he whispered, "but I get that you may not be comfortable with that, considering." He looked back to Sam and held his free hand out for the letter, then turned back to Evelyn. "You mind if I take this? I think we may be able to figure some of this out."

"Take it," she said.

"I'll come back tomorrow."

"Do you really think you'll have answers that soon?"

"No... but I'll wanna see you anyway."

Evelyn blushed a little as Dean stared at her mouth. He pulled her hand from his chest, up to his lips and placed a kiss there.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

She followed them to her door and locked up after they were gone. Neither of them said anything as they made their way to the car. Dean finally spoke once they were headed toward the bunker.

"You know where that file would be in the library?"

"I have an idea," Sam said. "You think the Men of Letters helped her get here?"

"It would make sense. Henry knew how to travel through time. Maybe there are different ways... different spells."

"But Henry didn't lose his memory."

"No. Maybe something went wrong with Evelyn. I don't know. We have to get that file."


	12. Chapter 12

It didn't take long for Sam to track down the location of the file in the Men of Letters library. The file was not as thick as some of the others around it. He decided not to open it. He would let Dean be the first to see what was inside. He brought it to one of the tables and placed it in front of an empty chair.

"Dean," he called out, "I found it."

Dean heard Sam call from the other room, and quickly dropped what he was doing. Sam pointed to the file on the table as Dean entered. He walked over and ran his fingers over the label on the file before looking at Sam.

"Well?" he asked.

"I didn't open it," Sam said. "I thought you'd wanna be the one to do that."

Dean nodded. "Thanks." He sat down and slowly opened the file to be greeted with a small stack of papers. Evelyn's face peered out from between the pages, and he moved them aside to uncover it. A faded photograph of Evelyn was included in the file. It was black and white, but time had given it a brownish tone. "This picture of her was here the whole time," he said softly. He carefully removed it and placed it on the table above the folder.

Dean began skimming the pages in the folder. Sam had sat next to him, so Dean passed long anything that didn't pique his interest. Individual letters from each person that was present that day, explaining why he supported, or didn't support, Evelyn's decision to travel through time. Dean eventually came across a few typed pages. This was what he was looking for. It explained, in detail, the spell that was used, its ingredients, and its purpose. It also explained how the spell was modified for Evelyn's circumstances.

"Sammy, this says that Evelyn didn't use her own blood. Henry used this same spell, but he used his own blood."

"Because blood leads to blood... an he was trying to find dad."

"Right. Evelyn was trying to find me, so her blood wouldn't work."

"Well, whose blood did they use?"

Dean handed the report to Sam and pointed out the name. "John Winchester."

"That's impossible," Sam said. "Dad wasn't alive in 1944."

"Maybe it was his grandfather... or his great-grandfather."

"Unbelievable."

Dean began making his way through the folder again. Sam continued looking through the letters until he came across the one signed by John Winchester.

"Dean, I just found something written by John."

"I can do you one better... I just found a picture."

Sam put down the letter and leaned over toward Dean, who held the picture in his hands. A group photo of all who were present that day. Evelyn, Eliot, and several other men. One in particular looked very familiar.

"Wow," Sam said softly. "Dean... you look just like him." They both stared at the picture for a moment before Sam spoke again. "So, if the spell calls for your blood, and Evelyn used someone else's blood... maybe that's why she lost her memory?"

"That would make sense," Dean said. "Henry said it taps the power of your soul. Mixing her soul with someone else's blood... who knows what that would do?"

"That's why they were so divided as to if she should even do it or not."

Dean stared at the picture of the group and realized that the surroundings looked familiar. "This picture was taken here," he said. "In the bunker. She was in this room, Sammy. She could have sat in this chair."

Dean spent the rest of the night reading every paper in the file. He didn't find any new, helpful information, but we wanted to read it all. He found it difficult to put her photo back in the folder. When Sam went to shower, Dean slipped into his bedroom and placed the photo on the desk. He returned to the library and put the folder back together so Sam could put it back where he found it. He grabbed a glass and poured himself a double shot of Whiskey. A reminder of Evelyn. He sat at the table, with his feet propped up, ankles crossed, until Sam came back into the room.

"You still gonna go see her tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"What are you gonna tell her?"

"I can't tell her any of this," he said. He motioned to the file on the table with the glass in his hand. "I need to trigger her memories. I was thinking about taking her back to Canton... bringing her back to the diner, the apartment building."

"How do you know those things are still there?" Sam asked. Dean stared at the liquid in his glass before taking another sip, and Sam knew without his answer. "You've been there since you got back."

"The diner is closed, but still standing. The apartment building is still there."

"What if she won't go with you? It's like she just met you."

"She invited me into her home. I think she believes that I know her, and that we were close. I think she'll come."

As Dean got into bed that night, he stared at the photo of Evelyn. When he turned out the light, memories of them together flooded his thoughts, then the feeling of holding her in his arms again outside of the restaurant. He had to make her remember. He had to.

Dean woke early, eager to see Evelyn, but he forced himself to stay in bed. He wouldn't be able to talk to her until the evening, when her shift was over. At least, he hoped she was working the same schedule as the day before.

He turned over and closed his eyes. He thought about the night he kissed her outside of their apartment building, all wrapped up in his coat. He couldn't remember ever wanting a woman more in his life. Yet, he was okay with not taking that step so soon. She made him want to be a gentleman. The image of lifting her chin and gently kissing her lips was the last thing to go through his mind before he fell asleep again.

Sam woke him up around noon. He reluctantly got up, showered, dressed, and ate, then waited to go see Evelyn. He got there earlier than he should have. He parked the car a few feet away from the restaurant and watched through the window as she went from table to table smiling at the customers.

She came out about a half hour later. Book in hand, she walked over to an empty table outside the restaurant. As soon as Dean saw her, he was out of the car and headed her way.

"Hi," he said.

Evelyn looked up and smiled at him. "Hi."

"Told you I'd come see you."

"Yes, you did." She stood from the table and gathered her things. "Why don't we go back to my place so we can talk more privately?"

"Sounds good."

With his hand at the small of her back, he guided her to his car, opening the passenger door for her. He drove the short distance to her apartment, and she let herself out before he had the chance to get around the car.

Once upstairs, Evelyn told him to sit and offered him a drink.

"Whatever you have is fine with me," Dean said.

She came back with two beers, and sat next to Dean on the sofa, facing him slightly so they could talk.

"So, did you find anything from that letter?" she asked.

"No," he lied. "Nothing yet." He couldn't tell her. She would think he was insane. She had to remember on her own. He took a long pull from his beer and found himself just staring at her. It wasn't until she blushed and turned her face away that he realized he was doing it.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just... when I heard you went missing... I was beginning to think I'd never see you again."

She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. As her hand made its way back to her lap, Dean gently took it in his. He lifted it so that their hands were palm to palm, and he stared at their fingers as he laced them together.

Evelyn's eyes went from their hands to Dean's face. The gesture was so simple and innocent, but the look on Dean's face showed something else. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. She wondered about their past.

"Tell me about us," she said.

"What about us?"

"Whatever comes to mind."

Dean smiled, thinking of the things he loved about her.

"You hum," he said. "I love listening to you hum."

"I do hum," she said with a smile. "I don't even realize I'm doing it sometimes."

"There was one time... I got hurt pretty bad and you took care of me."

"What happened to you?"

"It's not important right now... you took care of me. I was lying on your sofa, and you sat on the floor next to me, running your fingers through my hair." His thumb brushed over her hand, their fingers still entwined. "I would have rathered been there than anywhere else... listening to you hum while I fell asleep."

"But you were hurt."

"I was with you."

Evelyn stared at their hands again. "Were you covered with a blanket?"

"Yes," Dean said, trying to hide his excitement at her remembering even the smallest detail.

"You had a bandage on your neck?"

"Yes, I did. You remember."

"A little. It's fuzzy... like something I might have seen in a movie a long time ago."

"It was real sweetheart." Dean sat his now empty beer bottle on the coffee table. "Do you have to work this weekend?"

"No."

"I'd like to take you somewhere."

"Where?"

"Canton, Ohio. It's where we met. I wanna show you a few places."

"See if it sparks any memories?"

"Exactly."

"Well... I remembered taking care of you, a little. It's worth a shot."

"Good. I'll pick you up around eight, if that's okay?"

"That's fine."

Dean got up. "I guess I should go."

"Wait," she said, grabbing his hand. "Stay. I'd like to hear more about us."

Dean smiled and sat back down. He kept her hand in his and pulled it into his lap. "Anything specific?"

"Our first date. What was that like?"

"I don't think you could really call what we did dating. We just hung out at this diner every night, and it kinda evolved. The diner had a jukebox and you would play old records... Billie Holiday..."

"I love Billie Holiday!"

"I know you do," Dean said with a smile. "One night I asked you to dance and we danced all night. I just wanted to hold you in my arms."

Evelyn stood and walked over to her stereo. She pressed a few buttons and Billie Holiday's "You Go to My Head" spilled from the speakers. Dean stood and walked behind her, putting his hands on her arms.

"This was the first song we ever danced to," he said.

"I know. I don't know how, but I do."

"Because you remember," he said as he turned her around. He placed one of her hands on his shoulder and took the other in his. "We danced just like this."

They swayed back and forth to the music. Evelyn's head rested in the crook of Dean's neck.

"Did we kiss that night?" she asked.

"No... not that night."

"Will you kiss me now?"

Dean lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. He recognized that look. "If you want me to."

"I do."

Dean gently pressed his lips against hers. As she began to kiss back, his hand moved around to the back of her head, his fingers sinking into her hair, holding her close. Evelyn's hand slid down his chest and clutched the front of his shirt. She pulled her other hand from Dean's and put it behind his head.

Dean pulled away, his breathing ragged. "I really think I should go. I'll pick you up in the morning."

Evelyn followed him to the door. As he opened it, he turned back to her, giving her another soft kiss.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

"Tomorrow."


	13. Chapter 13

The ride to Canton was a long one. Sam decided to stay behind at the bunker to give them privacy. Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, turned to the side as much as the seatbelt would allow.

"Tell me more about us," she said. "Did we ever... you know?"

Dean smiled. "No, we didn't. Came kinda close once, though."

"Tell me."

"It was when you were taking care of me. I was starting to feel better, and I asked you to sit next to me on the couch. I pulled your legs across my lap, and we kissed a while. My hand started going up your leg, under your night gown, and..."

"And?"

"We stopped."

"Did I ask you to stop?"

"No, we just both agreed to stop. I think we both were waiting for the perfect time, and that wasn't it."

As the car ride continued, Evelyn unbuckled her seatbelt, seeing that Dean never fastened his. The longer they talked, the closer she got to Dean on the seat, until her hand rested on his leg.

"It's the weirdest thing," she said. "I don't remember much. The memories I do have feel like a dream, but... I have these feelings toward you that I'm finding hard to control. I want you to kiss me and never stop. I want your arms around me again."

"When you get your memory back, we'll do whatever you want, sweetheart."

They stopped a few times for food and gas. One more stop was made that night at a motel. Dean needed sleep for the rest of the drive. He booked two rooms, knowing that sharing a room with Evelyn would be too tempting. He really did want her to get her memory back before going any further. He walked her to her room, and she stood in the doorway, reluctant to go inside.

"Goodnight," Dean said.

Evelyn didn't respond. She stared at his lips, the way she used to. Dean closed the gap between them and pulled her close, capturing her lips. Her hands dove into his hair as the kiss deepened. Dean took two steps forward, backing Evelyn into her room. When his hand instinctively reached to close the door behind him, he pulled his lips away, putting his hands to her face. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers.

"I should go," he said.

"I feel like we've been in this situation before."

"Because we have... more than once."

He pressed his lips to her forehead and held her there for a moment before pulling away completely.

"Get some sleep," he said. He walked to the door and pulled it closed behind him. He leaned back against the closed door and blew out a breath. "Damn, being a gentleman is hard," he whispered to himself. He shook his head as he walked to his room. A cold shower was definitely in his future.

They got an early start the next morning, and were in Canton after a few more hours of driving.

"Anything look familiar?" Dean asked as they drove through town.

"I'm not sure," she said as she looked out of the window.

Dean drove past the diner where they danced. It had long been closed and the grass was knee high all around it. Evelyn stared at it as they went by.

"That diner..." she said, but her thought stopped short.

"What about it?" Dean asked.

"Is that where we..." She turned to Dean and, when she saw the way he was looking at her, both hopeful and uncertain at the same time, she knew she was right. "That's where we danced," she said.

"It is," Dean said with a smile.

"Go back."

Dean found a place to turn around and headed back in the direction of the diner. He barely stopped before she was out of the car. She walked up to the door and placed her hands on it. It was boarded up, allowing entry to no one.

"Come on," Dean said, taking her hand, "I snuck in here a couple months ago."

Dean took her around to the back of the building, through the tall grass. Evelyn noticed the loose boards as he walked toward them. He gently lifted a large area of boards and moved it aside.

"After you," he said, motioning to the newly made hole. "Watch your head."

Dean helped Evelyn through and followed her in. She turned in a circle, taking the whole place in. Dean walked up behind her and turned her to the wall by the windows.

"That wall was full of booths," he said, then turned her toward the adjoining wall. "That's where the jukebox was. I'd sit in one of those booths and watch you feed the jukebox, until one night..." He turned her to face him, put one of her hands on his shoulder and took the other in his, holding it against his chest. "I asked you to dance." He began to sway back and forth and Evelyn smiled.

"Asked me? You told me."

"Yeah," Dean chuckled, "I guess I..."

Dean pulled back and his eyes met Evelyn's, full of surprise.

"I remember," she said. "You came up behind me while I was at the jukebox and told me to put on something we could dance to. I asked you if you wanted a jive."

"That's right," Dean said.

"Why would I ask you that? Who jives anymore?"

"Maybe it had something to do with the music we were listening to?"

"Maybe."

"Let's go," Dean said. We've got a couple more places you should see."

"Don't tell me. Let me recognize it, like I did with the diner."

"Okay," Dean said with a smile.

He helped her back outside and returned the loose boards to the back of the diner. Back in the car, just before Dean started the engine, Evelyn grabbed his face in both hands and kissed him.

"What's that for?" Dean asked.

"For bringing me here... for helping me remember. Thank you."

"Well," Dean said with a smile, "my reasons aren't completely unselfish."

Dean pulled away from the diner and headed toward their old apartment building. As with the diner, Evelyn had Dean turn around.

"That building there," she said, pointing toward one in particular. "Here! Stop the car."

Dean pulled over in front of the building and turned off the engine. This time, Evelyn stayed in the car, staring at the building through the window.

"We both lived here," she said.

"That's right."

"You lived right down the hall... with Eliot."

Dean smiled, "That's right."

Evelyn turned in her seat, facing Dean. "Can you take me somewhere that might help me remember all at once? These bits and pieces are killing me. I want to remember everything."

"I'll pass one more place on the way out of town. You let me know if you recognize it."

He drove her past Ezra's shop. It was no longer Ezra's, but the building was still there. Once again, Evelyn stopped Dean and they looked at the building.

"I worked here. It was a men's clothing store, but... something else too. You and Eliot came in a lot." She looked at him with wide eyes. "What kind of place was this?"

Dean almost laughed at the look on her face. "Nothing illegal, I promise."

"What, then?"

"You'll have to remember that on your own."

"Is there anywhere else we can go?"

"There is a place that might bring it all back, but it's back in Lebanon."

"Well, let's go."


	14. Chapter 14

The trip back to Kansas was quiet. Evelyn spent the time thinking and trying to remember. Small details continued to come back to her, and Dean confirmed what he knew. As they crossed the border into Kansas, she finally started asking questions.

"So, what's in Lebanon? I've been all around the city and nothing has ever brought back even the tiniest memory."

"You haven't been to this place."

"How do you know?"

"It's out of the way... and even if you've driven by, you may not have given it a second look. You definitely didn't go inside. At least, not since you lost your memory."

"How do you-"

"You'd need a key. And I know for a fact that, until recently, no one has been inside for a few decades."

"I don't mean to sound like a broken record," she said with a chuckle, "but-"

"It's where Sam and I are staying," he said, smiling. "We sort of inherited it."

"Oh..."

Dean called Sam when they got closer. It didn't take them long after that to get there. Dean pulled up to a door in the side of a hill and turned the engine off.

"Here we are."

Evelyn sat, taking it all in as Dean came around and opened her door. She got out of the car and followed him inside. Once inside, a tidal wave of memories rushed over her.

"I've been here."

"Yes."

"With Eliot."

"Yes."

"You were already gone, and I was trying to get to you... Men of Letters," she said with wide eyes as she looked to Dean. "This place belonged to the Men of Letters. They helped... hunters. Like you."

Dean smiled bigger than he had since he last smiled at Evelyn in 1944. She was remembering.

"There's something you should see," he said.

He called for Sam, who came into the library to the table area with Evelyn's file. He handed it to her.

"Dean thought this would tie all the pieces back together for you. And," he said pulling something from behind his back. "This was also in the file. I found it in Dean's room."

A smirk pulled at Dean's lips and he ran a hand through his hair. "I wonder how that got in there?"

"It's a mystery, Dean," Sam said with a roll of his eyes.

Evelyn sat down at a table, staring at the picture of herself. "I have this dress at home. I was wearing it the night I was found... the night I left..." Her eyes grew wide and flew up to meet Dean's. "Time travel! I remember... everything."

Dean pulled the group photo out of the folder and laid it in front of her. "Do you remember any of these guys."

Her fingers ran over the tall figure next to hers. "Eliot. He was so worried about me doing this."

"Who else?"

"I don't remember everyone's names," she said scanning the faces. "But this guy," she pointed to the man who looked like Dean, "his name is John Winchester. I remembered you said your dad's name was John, but it couldn't have been him. Not in 1945. He said his son's name is Henry."

"Henry is our grandfather," Dean said. "Our dad's dad."

"Wow," Evelyn whispered. "He looked just like you, Dean. It almost broke my heart to look at him." She stood from her chair and put her hand to Dean's face. "I actually got to you."

"You did."

"And you found me."

"Pure accident. I just saw you sitting there."

Evelyn wrapped her arms around his neck as the tears began to fall. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too, sweetheart."

Dean hugged her so tight that her feet came slightly off the ground. Neither of them noticed as Sam left the room. Evelyn breathed deeply, taking in Dean's scent... just like she remembered. She remembered.

"I can't believe I forgot you."

"Sam and I have a..." Dean looked around the room and saw that Sam was gone. "Huh... well, we have a theory about that."

Dean opened the file, leaving one arm around Evelyn. He pulled out the typed papers that explained the spell work.

"The blood spell you used wasn't meant to be used with someone else's blood," Dean said.

"That's right. They told me it was originally used to find one's own relations."

"Right. It also taps the power of your soul. We actually met our grandfather, Henry, because he used this spell to try to find our dad. We got the key to this place from him. He was a Man of Letters. But he was fine. Short of needing some time for his soul to recharge, he had no side effects. Sam and I think that mixing someone else's blood with your soul is what caused you to lose your memory."

"It's why I thought my name was Winchester."

"Very likely."

"So," Evelyn said, still held by one of Dean's arms around her waist. "Where do we go from here?"

"That's your decision. You still have your apartment. We can take this slow."

"You wanna court me again?"

"I actually wouldn't object to it," Dean said with a smile. "You bring out something in me that no other woman has ever been able to."

"What's that?"

"You make me wanna be a gentlman."

"You weren't before you met me?" she asked with a slight look of disbelief.

"Not when it came to sex. I've got lots of one night stands in my past."

"Any serious relationships?"

"A couple."

"What happened? Why'd they end?"

"The job."

Evelyn nodded. She knew the stress and the secrets that went along with hunting. She watched Eliot deal with it.

"What's our other option?"

"Well," he said with a grin. "We have lots of bedrooms here. You could have your pick... move in and help us out. We could be together a lot more."

"I like the sound of that," she said smiling. "Would I still be courted?"

"If that's what you want."

"You'd pick me up at my door and take me out on a date?"

Dean leaned down and gave Evelyn a soft kiss. His lips slowly trailed down to her neck, and he heard her let out a sigh.

"What if I wanna move into your room?" she asked.

Dean pulled back and looked into her eyes. She smiled up at him, and nearly took his breath away.

"I think that can be arranged... if you're sure that's what you want."

"How do you think a gentleman would lead a lady to his bedroom?"

Dean smiled as he captured Evelyn's lips in a passionate kiss. When her arms found their way around his neck, he scooped her up like a princess and made his way toward his bedroom. As they reached the door, Evelyn pulled out of the kiss. The questioning look on her face made Dean put her down.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I was just thinking," she said. "Do you remember what you told me right before you went off to get Chronos?"

"You mean that I love you?"

"Yeah... Is it still true?"

"Sweetheart, I've looked for a way to get to you ever since I got back. You're pretty much all I've thought about. Of course, I still love you."

"I love you, too, Dean."


End file.
